Maple donuts will forever be my kryptonite. These vegan maple glazed donuts are no exception. This tender baked donut recipe is lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and is covered in a thick, rich maple glaze. These are the perfect cozy treat on a chilly fall morning.
why we love these vegan maple glazed donuts
This vegan maple glazed donut recipe is downright flavorful. This recipe uses maple extract in addition to maple syrup to make sure the maple frosting tastes better than what you could get at the store or donut shop. You only need 12 pantry-friendly ingredients to make these baked donuts and the easy maple glaze. Because they’re baked (or air fried), these donuts are super fast to make. They come together in just under 20 minutes, making them perfect for breakfast or a late-night snack.
These maple donuts have just the right amount of sweetness and the thick maple icing helps balance out all the flavors.
maple donut ingredients
These maple frosted donuts are made with about 12 ingredients (including the glaze ingredients) that make them super flavorful, sweet, and tender.
To make this one-bowl recipe, you’ll need to gather to following:
- Vegan Butter
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Maple Extract
- Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer, equivalent of 1 egg
- Dairy Free Milk, like unsweetened almond milk
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Soda
- Salt
the best vegan egg substitutes
To make sure these are the best vegan maple donuts, I tested them with a few different egg replacers and without an egg replacer. Without the egg replacer in this recipe, the donuts will be slightly crumblier and will have a looser texture (more like a muffin than a donut). I also tested this recipe with flaxseed as the egg replacer and the texture was, again, much more like a muffin than a donut.
I really love using prepackaged egg replacers by Ener-G Egg or Bob’s Red Mill. Both of these egg replacers are proprietary blends of starches that help bind and leaven the baked goods. These egg replacers are a little harder to come by than ground flaxseed but give the bread a fluffier texture. I usually order them online or can find them at my local health food store.
how to use Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer
This recipe requires 1 egg worth of egg replacer. Use 1 tablespoon of the Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer powder and 2 tablespoons of warm water to create the vegan egg. Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes to thicken. Be sure to combine the powder and water together 2-3 minutes before you need to mix it into the batter.
making the maple donuts
These dairy-free maple donuts are super easy, fast, and only require 1 bowl to make. This recipe makes a super thick donut batter which creates a tender baked or air-fried donut.
To make this recipe you’ll need a donut pan. I used one by the brand Bellemain which is nonstick and creates the perfect sized donuts.
How to make the maple donuts:
- Preheat your oven to 375F. If using an air fryer, preheat it to 400F.
- Prepare your donut pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the melted butter, dairy-free milk, the prepared egg replacer, vanilla extract, and maple extract.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together to form a very thick batter. If the batter is too thick to stir, there may be too much flour in the mixture. Add 1 tbsp of water to help loosen the batter.
- Spoon 1-2 tbsp of batter into the donut pan. Even out the tops of the donuts with the back of your spoon. Try not to overfill the pan.
- Air fry at 400F for 6 minutes. OR bake at 375F for 11-12 minutes.
air fried donuts vs. baked donuts
I found that the air-fried donuts cooked faster, had a bit of a crispier “shell” on the outside, and were moister on the inside. The baked version took about twice as long to cook and was fluffier on the outside. I honestly really enjoyed both versions, and I found the main benefit of air frying them was saving time and the crispier shell.
the maple glaze ingredients
This easy maple glaze only needs 4 ingredients. They are:
- Powdered Sugar
- Maple Extract
- Maple Syrup
- Vegan Butter
how to make the maple glaze
In a small shallow bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, melted vegan butter, and maple extract. It should form a very thick glaze (like the photo above).
The icing should be very thick and drizzle slowly off your spoon, forming thick ribbons.
If it looks like your maple icing is too thin, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time to the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency.
glazing the maple donuts
Next up is dipping the cooled donuts into the glaze. The bottoms of the donuts are smoother, so I prefer to dip that side into the glaze. Make sure the donuts are completely cooled before glazing them. If they are still warm, the maple glaze will become too thin and seep into the donuts.
Place the glazed donuts on a wire rack with a paper towel underneath to help catch the drips. To help the glaze harden, let the donuts rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Then, these vegan maple glazed donuts are ready to enjoy!
maple glazed donuts tips & tricks
Below are some tips, tricks, and faqs to help you make the best vegan maple donuts!
This donut recipe can be air-fried. I’m using an air fry toaster oven which fits my donut pan inside of it. If you have a regular air fryer with a pull-out basket, the donut pan may not fit inside.
Yes! This donut recipe is dairy-free since it uses vegan butter for the fat to add moisture. I recommend using Earth Balance Buttery Sticks in this recipe. This vegan butter has been tried and true in all my recipes over the years.
The batter should be very thick. You’ll have to spoon it into the pan as it will be too thick to pour.
Absolutely! This recipe would make the best vegan maple muffins. Line your muffin pan and bake the muffins for about 16-19 minutes.
When you fill up your donut pan with your batter, only fill them 3/4 of the way full! The first few times I made these, I was a little too generous when filling my pan. These donuts rise a good amount when baked, so filling the pan halfway helps you achieve the perfect donut shape
looking for more vegan donut recipes?
- Vegan Brown Sugar Grapefruit Donuts
- Birthday Cake Air Fryer Donuts
- Vegan Chocolate Yeast Donuts
- Cream Filled Gingerbread Donuts
Did you make these Maple Glazed Donuts? I’d love to know! Leave a rating and comment below!
Maple Glazed Donuts (Vegan)
This vegan maple glazed donut recipe is lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and is covered in a thick, rich maple icing. These baked or air fried donuts are the perfect cozy treat on a chilly fall morning.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour (180g), spoon and leveled
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ½ tsp baking soda (3g)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg (1g)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (2g)
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp melted butter, (46g) vegan like Earth Balance
- 1 tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer (12g), mixed with 2 tbsp water (equivalent of 1 egg)
- ½ cup dairy-free milk
- ½ tsp maple extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Glaze:
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar, (80g)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup, (27g)
- 1 tbsp melted butter, (15g) vegan like Earth Balance
- 1/2 tsp maple extract
Instructions
How to Make the Maple Donuts:
- Preheat your oven to 375F. If using an air fryer, preheat it to 400F.
- Prepare your donut pan by spraying it with cooking spray.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the flour. Make sure to measure the flour with the spoon and level method or weigh the flour with a scale. (see notes)
- Mix together the flour, sugar, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the egg replacer with the water to form a thick paste. Make sure there are no lumps.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the melted butter, dairy-free milk, the prepared egg replacer, vanilla extract, and maple extract.
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients together to form a very thick batter. If the batter is too thick to stir, there may be too much flour in the mixture. Add 1 tbsp of water to help loosen the batter.
- Spoon 1-2 tbsp of batter into the donut pan. Even out the tops of the donuts with the back of your spoon. Try not to overfill the pan.
- Air fry at 400F for 6 minutes.
- OR bake at 375F for 11-12 minutes.
- Let the donuts cool on a wire rack before glazing them.
How to Make the Maple Glaze:
- In a small shallow bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, melted vegan butter, and maple extract.
- It should form a very thick glaze (like the photos in the post above).
- Dip the cooled donuts into the glaze. The bottoms of the donuts are smoother, so I prefer to dip that side into the glaze.
- Place the glazed donuts on a wire rack with a paper towel underneath to help catch the drips.
- Let the donuts rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes to let the glaze harden and then enjoy!
Notes
The Spoon and Level Method:
- Scooping the flour directly from the bag, instead of using the spoon and level method, often results in 2-3 tbsp more flour. This will lead to a batter that is not the right consistency and potentially dry baked goods.
Air fryer Instructions:
- I tested this recipe with an air fry toaster oven which was able to fit my donut pan. Stand-alone air fryers may not be able to fit a standard donut pan.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 210Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 88mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 3g
Nutritional info is an estimate.
Disclosure: This page contains some affiliate links. Please know that I may receive a percentage or commission from a link included on this page, at no cost to you. I will only recommend a product or service that I have used or believe has substantial value to my readers.
Leave a Reply